3444 — Use of Wine and Strong Drink
By Editor
Is not Prov. 31:6, 7 literal language? May not strong drink be used to revive the “heavy-hearted and discouraged” now as then? Friend and Reader. The passage reads: “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” The A.R.V. has, “wine unto the bitter in soul.” Spurrell reads, “Give the intoxicating draft to the dying, and wine to the afflicted soul.” It can readily be seen that the strong drink is in contrast to the wine. The one intoxicates, while the other cheers. The former is given, as anesthetics are given now, to relieve the suffering of the dying. The common word for “wine” in the Old Testament is “yayin.” It is a generic term including all sorts of wine, literally and figuratively, wine that intoxicates, wine that cheers, wine in the wine-press. The corresponding generic word in the New Testament is “oinos.” As of old, “the bitter of soul,” the greatly afflicted, are inclined to fast. It is a physiological fact that eating or drinking that which is pleasant changes the life currents and raises the spirits of the despondent. Sweet wine is well fitted to do this. And yet drinking wine, so easily fermenting, was attended with danger. Hence it was forbidden to priests and princes. It is spoken of as a blessing, a comfort, that which is good; it is also shown to be a curse. The difference between it is guarded by that line indicated by the text in Prov. 23:31: “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, when it goeth down smoothly [margin, “moveth itself aright”].” A.R.V. On the one side, the new wine is cheering, nourishing, unintoxicating. On the other side it is “a mocker” (Prov. 20:1), and at the last “biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder” (Prov. 23:32). The glutton, the heavy drinker, was quite likely to cross the line. The tendency was in that direction; hence in some cases, as with priests, its absolute prohibition. Lev. 10:8-11; Eze. 44:21; Luke 1:15; Prov. 31:4. God commended the abstinent Rechabites. Jeremiah 35. Timothy would not drink it because of the danger of its leading to the love of fermented wine, and its need was therefore enjoined by the apostle. 1 Tim. 5:23. But then while his stomach was troubled and his infirmities “often,” the wine was to be “little” in quantity. Christians are priests and kings, and of the last generation John the Baptist is a type (1 Peter 2:9); surely they ought to be abstemious, to drink no strong drink or fermented wine. All use ought to be on the hither side of the line drawn by Prov. 23:31. The whole general testimony of God’s Word is against the use of intoxicating drinks. Read Prov. 20:1; 23:20, 29-35; Hab. 2:5, 15; Isa. 5:11, 22; Eph. 5:18. Other correspondents will see from the above that the generic terms “yayin” and “oinos” cover all kinds of wine, sweet wine as well as fermented wine,—“must,” “vinegar,” and fermented wine. There is no proof that Jesus ever tasted fermented wine. He was called by His enemies a “wine-bibber,” but the same evidence would prove Him a glutton. We can not believe that He made wine, and then placed within it the poison of the ferment. Then, too, it was the custom among the Hebrews to use—at the beginning of their feasts sweet wine, and the words of the governor of the feast show that the wine made by Jesus was the beginning wine. John 2:10. Jesus used the power of the Creator to manifest forth His glory. He created the elements of the grape and changed the water to good wine, on the right side of Prov. 23:31.